This White Chocolate Raspberry Pudding recipe is layers of shortbread cookies, white chocolate pudding, fresh raspberries, and whipped cream. This no bake raspberry dessert is my raspberry twist on banana pudding.
Easy Raspberry Pudding with Chess Cookies
One of my favorite desserts of all time is banana pudding. It’s an old-fashioned yet classic dessert that is sweet, creamy, and always a crowd pleaser. I’ve always been partial to banana desserts—whether it’s a banana cream pie or sweet banana cake—and banana pudding is such a simple dessert.
As such, I thought I’d try a twist on a classic dessert and sub the fresh bananas out for fresh raspberries. It’s a lush, creamy dessert that just might edge banana pudding out of the top spot for me.
Typically, a banana pudding dessert is made with vanilla wafers, but I wanted to switch things up with this white chocolate raspberry pudding so I opted for butter shortbread cookies. The butter chess cookies with the white chocolate pudding pair so well together. Add the sweet raspberries and whipped cream and this is one incredibly decadent pudding dessert.
Reasons To Love This Raspberry White Chocolate Pudding:
- Easy: This is one of the easiest desserts. Pudding desserts take no time at all to make, and this white chocolate and raspberry pudding cream is no exception. The hardest thing is waiting for this delicious recipe to chill.
- No Bake: This no bake raspberry pudding with white chocolate requires only a few ingredients, and instead of baking in the oven, it simply needs to chill in the fridge. It’s a bit similar to an icebox cake or dessert lasagna.
- Versatile: I love making this raspberry pudding with shortbread butter cookies. Specifically, chess butter cookies. However, you can use vanilla wafers, golden oreos, graham crackers, or other shortbread cookies.
- Make Ahead: Because this is like raspberry pudding cake or pudding pie, it needs to chill for a few hours—if not overnight—in the fridge. The pudding acts like a custard and softens the butter cookies, making them almost cake like (think like a tiramisu where the lady fingers soften into an almost cake-like consistency).
If you love creamy puddings and dreamy desserts like this one, I suggest trying this Pistachio Pudding Pie, Frog Eye Salad, and No Bake Lemon Blueberry Trifle.
Raspberry and White Chocolate Pudding Ingredients:
This raspberry pudding recipe calls for only 8 simple ingredients.
- Instant Vanilla Pudding: Make sure you use instant pudding, otherwise it will not set up properly.
- Cold Water: The water does not need to be ice cold, but it does need to be colder than room temperature for the white chocolate pudding to set up properly.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is the key ingredient, because it’s what turns the instant pudding into a really thick custard.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: The heavy whipping cream is turned into whipped cream, which is used to lighten the pudding. It turns it into a fluffy, dreamy pudding dessert.
- White Chocolate: Use high quality white chocolate bars, like Ghirardelli or something similar. Most white chocolate chips have other ingredients in them so they don’t melt properly. You really want to use white chocolate bars.
- Butter Cookies: I use Pepperidge Farm Chessman Cookies, which are thick butter cookies with the chess pieces baked on them. However, you can use other butter cookies or shortbread cookies.
- Raspberries: You need to use fresh raspberries, because frozen raspberries have too much liquid. The sweeter the raspberries, the better the pudding will taste.
- Vanilla Extract
Let’s Talk About How To Make This White Chocolate Raspberry Pudding Dessert:
This fresh Raspberry White Chocolate Pudding comes together easily. This is a basic overview of how to make it, as the recipe card down below has the full details.
- Pudding: With a standing mixer or hand mixer, whisk sweetened condensed milk and cold water together in a mixing bowl. Once it is combined, add the instant pudding to the sweetened condensed milk mixture and whisk on medium low until it has thickened. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Whipped Cream: Whisk heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.
- White Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate until smooth and creamy. Pour the melted chocolate into the whipped cream, and mix until combined. Some of the white chocolate will turn into small chunks as it’s mixed into the whipped cream, which is actually what we want in this recipe. It adds texture to the pudding dessert.
- Pudding Part 2: Fold 2/3 of the white chocolate whipped cream mixture into the pudding mixture. Save the remaining 1/3 whipped cream for the topping.
- Assembly: In a large baking tray or 9×13 casserole dish, place a layer of butter chess cookies on the bottom. Spoon half of the pudding mixture on top. Sprinkle fresh raspberries on top of the pudding. Place a second layer of cookies on top of the raspberries. Spoon the remaining pudding on top. Add another layer of raspberries. Finally, top the raspberries with the remaining whipped cream.
- Topping: If desired, sprinkle crushed cookies and extra chocolate on top.
- Refrigerate: Allow to refrigerate for at least a couple of hours, or overnight. The cookies will soften a bit as the pudding sits in the fridge.
Storage Tips:
This white chocolate and raspberry pudding does need to be stored in the fridge. It can be stored in an airtight container, or covered in plastic wrap.
It can last up to 3-4 days; however, it’s a dessert that’s best when eaten within 1-2 days. Like banana pudding, the raspberry pudding soaks into the butter cookies, creating a soft, cake-like texture. The longer the pudding sits in the fridge, the softer the cookies get. On days 3 and 4, the cookies and the raspberries might be soggy.
Other No Bake Recipes To Try Next:
- Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
- Magnolia Bakery Banana Pudding
- Pumpkin Banana Pudding
- Strawberry Marshmallow Pie
- No Bake Lemon Cream Pie
If you love silky smooth custards and pudding recipes, try this Vanilla Custard, Key Lime Pie, or Peanut Butter Pie next!
Can I Use Frozen Raspberries?
- No. Frozen raspberries will release too much liquid into the pudding, which will turn it from a creamy custard to a soggy, watery mess.
Can I Substitute White Chocolate Pudding?
- Yes, you can. I chose to use instant vanilla pudding, because it’s more accessible. I had a difficult time finding instant white chocolate pudding, and I wanted to use ingredients that could be found at most local grocery stores.
Can I Use White Chocolate Chips?
- No. I cannot stress this enough: Do not use white chocolate chips. Use a high quality white chocolate bar, like Ghirardelli.
- White chocolate chips usually have extra ingredients in them, which taste artificial (often enough). Plus, those extra ingredients make it very difficult to melt white chocolate chips without them seizing.
Quick and Easy Tips To Make The Best White Chocolate Raspberry Pudding:
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: You must use sweetened condensed milk in this raspberry pudding recipe. It’s what makes the pudding more of a custard mixture. Whole milk or heavy cream will not work.
- Instant Pudding: Make sure you use instant pudding, not cook and serve pudding. I prefer to use vanilla instant pudding, but you can use another flavor you prefer (like white chocolate).
- Fresh Raspberries: You need to use fresh raspberries. Frozen will add too much liquid into the pudding and turn the whole thing into a wet raspberry sauce, which will make the dessert soggy. Additionally, the sweeter the raspberries, the better the dessert will taste.
- Whipped Cream: You must use homemade whipped cream. Do not substitute with cool whip or canned whipped cream.
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz fresh raspberries
- 48 Chess Butter Cookies*
- 8 oz white chocolate bar, chopped**
With a standing mixer or a hand held mixer, beat the cold water and sweetened condensed milk in a medium sized bowl until well combined.
- Add in instant vanilla pudding mix, and beat until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Cover the pudding mixture and refrigerate for 4 hours (you have to chill the pudding, otherwise it will not set up properly).
- After the pudding is set, make the whipped cream. Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream, about 4-5 minutes on med-high speed.
- Melt white chocolate until smooth and creamy. Fold the white chocolate into the whipped cream mixture. Some of the white chocolate will turn into soft white chocolate chunks, which gives the pudding added texture.
- Fold 2/3 of the white chocolate whipped cream into the chilled pudding mixture until fully incorporated. Reserve the remaining 1/3 whipped cream for the top of the dessert.
- In your serving dish, place a layer butter cookies in the bottom. Then, top with half of the pudding mixture. Place half of the raspberries on top of the pudding. Repeat the layers once more.
- Lastly, top with reserved whipped cream, and sprinkle with crushed butter cookies and chopped white chocolate, if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.***
*I use 2 bags of Pepperidge Farm Chessman Butter Cookies. You can use other butter cookies or shortbread cookies, if you prefer.
**Use a quality white chocolate bar, like Ghirardelli. Don’t use white chocolate chips, because they have other ingredients in them that cause them not to melt properly.
***You can serve this right away, but chilling it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours (or even overnight) will allow the cookies to soften a bit.
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